For a user to access information or conduct electronic commerce on the World Wide Web, he/she typically uses a (client) computer to dial up through a phone line, cable or other means to the server computer of an on-line service provider (OLSP). The OLSP server computer is then connected to the Internet where the servers of content providers and merchants reside. Requests from the user and results from the content/merchant servers are all passed through the server computer of the OLSP. In providing the services for accessing the Web, the OLSP usually charges the user a service fee.
To charge users for accessing the Web, OLSPs generally adopt two popular billing methods. Users are charged either by a flat rate (e.g. $19.95 per month) or by connection time (e.g. $1.95 per hour). However, there are shortcomings associated with these two billing approaches. One problem with the flat rate billing method is that it does not reflect users' prioritizations of Internet resources. Furthermore, this method does not encourage users to save Internet resources. As a result, heavy users of the Web can potentially monopolize part of the Internet resources, thus preventing others from accessing them. On the other hand, the connection time billing method is also unfair to the users who are continuously charged even though they may not receive any information from the Web due to waiting time caused by either network congestion or server unavailability. Indeed, as more and more people are "surfing" the Web, the network congestion problem is becoming more severe. Finally, these billing methods fail to provide a method of credit accumulation to offset fee payment for accessing the Web in order to attract Web traffic and improve the business value of the Internet.
In order to provide a billing method that is fairer to the user and that can also prevent heavy users from monopolizing part of the Internet resources, the OLSP should charge the user based on his/her actual usage. However, simple usage-based pricing may discourage the user from exploring the Web because he/she may be afraid of potentially large charges. Thus, there is a need for a better usage-based billing method that will encourage or entice the user to explore the Web, thus creating more business for the content providers/merchants and others in the electronic marketplace. There is also a need for a multiparty billable usage-based method [and system] for providing access to the World Wide Web of the Internet and sharing the accessing cost/credit.